Political clash intensifies over Pres. Yoon's arrest warrant

[Anchor]

A fierce debate has erupted all day in the political arena regarding the legality of President Yoon's arrest warrant and the timing of its execution.

The opposition party urged for the immediate arrest of the president, while the People Power Party shifted the focus to expediting the trial of DP leader Lee Jae-myung.

This is reporter Min Jeong-hee.

[Report]

As the execution of President Yoon's arrest warrant approaches, the Democratic Party placed its lawmakers on emergency standby, holding leadership meetings, a general assembly, and press conferences throughout the day to demand President Yoon's immediate arrest.

[Park Chan-dae/Democratic Party Floor Leader: "It is clear that the national crisis will escalate. It is crucial to immediately arrest the insurrection leader Yoon Suk Yeol to suppress the insurrection."]

The Democratic Party also warned that if the Presidential Security Service obstructs the warrant’s execution, they could be punished as accomplices in the insurrection.

On the other hand, the People Power Party shifted its focus to the judiciary, raising concerns over the legal risks surrounding Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.

They criticized the court for expediting the review of President Yoon's arrest warrant while being unusually lenient with Lee, and called for a swift trial.

They also suggested a timeline for the ruling on the second trial regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act.

[Kwon Seong-dong/People Power Party Leader: "The second trial ruling must come out by February 15 at the latest. If the court does not deliver a swift and strict ruling, it will undermine the trust of the people."]

There were also conflicting interpretations regarding the investigation authority of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials concerning insurrection charges.

[Yoo Sang-bum/People Power Party Member: "(The CIO) clearly lacks prosecutorial authority over abuse of power charges and, consequently, cannot investigate insurrection charges related to those cases based on legal interpretation."]

[Lee Seong-yoon/Democratic Party Member: "The court has already recognized the CIO's investigative authority. Only the People Power Party denies its authority."]

The People Power Party's consideration of impeaching judges over the alleged illegality of the warrant issuance was met with sharp criticism from the opposition, accusing them of intimidating the judiciary and paralyzing its functions.

KBS News, Min Jeong-hee.